Steam trap



J. A. CLARK i Feb. 28, i928.,

STEAM TRAP Filed July 9, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY 6 Join/'1.570%

J. A. CLARK Feb. 28, 1928.

STEAM TRAP Filed July 9, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 28, 192s., Y y 1,660,705

J. A. CLARK STEAM TRAP Filaed July 1925 3 Sheetsheei 53 INVENTOR A T TORNEY' vent-controlling means,

'Patented ses. as, reas.

Leger,

.TOEN A. CLARK, or Haamsisims, :eraansYLvaNIA.Y

STEAM Application filed July 9,4

The present invention relatesv to water traps for steam lines, the object beingl tor provide novel mechanism whereby the liquid l will be allowed to accumulate in a container and when the desired amount has been approximately reached, novel means are employedfor quickly opening the steam supply valve in order to permit the free outlet of the liquid.V

In the accompanying draw-ings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional `view therethrough,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view oi the 'Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through said vent-controlling means,

Figure 5 is aV diagrammatic view illustrat-` ing a system 1n which the trap can be successfully employed.

In the embodiment disclosed, a liquid container 5 isemployed, which may have a detachable topor cap member 6, suitably bolted thereto, as shown at-7. An outletpipe for the liquid is illustrated at 8, and an inlet for the vapor and liquid is disclosed at 9.

A steam supply pipe 10 extends through oneside of the container, and has secured to its inner end a valve casing 11. Touthis valve casing isconnected an upwardly: eX- tending outlet pipe 12 opening intothe `upper portion of the chamber. Within the valve. casing is a reciprocatory lsteam oo ntrolling valve 13 having a vertical stem 14 suitably connected to an operating lever 15. This lever is fulcrumed, as shown at 16, on `the upper end of anlink 17, pivote'd as illust trated at 18, to a bracket 19 secured `on the lvalve casing. One armof the lever carries outwardly opening check valvesv 8O.'`

For the purpose of'venting the'interijor of TRAP.

1925. serial no. 42,523.-

a tubular guide 26 `fastened to one wall of the container and having a slot. 27 inwhich is slidably located a lguide element 28 Vcarried by the cup 25. The cup 25 has an' open upper end, andxdepending from its'bottornis an outletpipe 29 provided with one or more the container, the upper endof thegvalve casing 11.hasa plurality of'ports 31 opening into an internal. chamber 32, as shown in vFigure 3. 'Leadingfrom said chamber are pipes 33 `having a common outlet 3ft to a point outside the container. vThe valve stem 14: extends throughthe saidchamber 32and is provided with Aan annular' groove 85 that is movable into communicationv with the ports 31 and'pipes `when Vthe valve is depressed and in vits closed positionv and is movable out of communication with said ports and pipes when the 'valve is opened.

vThe trap 'may be. employed in Va variety Figure 4l, a steam` b oilerfis shown at .36, and has a stern connection 37, withl the'pipe 10, of the container 5?-6. The outlet' 8 is connected by a pipe 38` with the lower of situations." ForeXample,as illustratedin .-5

side of the boiler 36. The liquid supply pipe 9 has a line connection 89 withthe lower end of a condensation receiver'll() thatre-` ceives the liquid'fromone or more apparatusestthrough connections 41..

The operation otV this structure` is'suber empty, the cup 25 will be in its lower-t mostposition, as illustrated in Figure-1 and the Heat 23will also bein its lowermost position. As aconsequence the'lever 15 will be depressed and' the valve 13will be closed. Wate'r entering through the pipe 9 will accumulate in the container 5, and as the level of the waterrises, ,it will reach the cup 25 and. elevate the saam-e until the cup strikes 'the bottomotthe pipe 12 whichhere acts as a stop..' The. water willfcontinue' to rise` within the container until it overilows theV cup, whereuponit will begin torise 1n sald so"Y stantial-ly as follows :'Assuming the` containf cup and obviously at a much greater rate' of speed than the level rose in the conftainer, Ask a consequence the buoyancy .of

I through the pipe 8 to the boiler.`

the cup will'soon be destroyed and it will sink. The liquid therefore will rush into it as it lbegins to sink, thus causing thev float 23 to rise rapidly, closing the vent, opening the valve and lpermitting steam at boiler pressure to enter the upper portion of the container, thus -cqualizing the pressure in the container whereupon the liquid will pass out As the level of the liquid lowers thecup will again gravitate until stopped bythe abutment of the check valves 80 uponjthe bottom of the container and as said liquid in the container outside the cup moves ,downwardlyy below the level of the liquid in the cup it will be obvious that the liquid ,will also flow out of the cup until both containeriand cup are drained. When this has occurred the filling roperationv again begins to take place.

. 1. In apparatus of the character set forth,

the combination with a container for liquid,

,of means for controlling the flow'y of the liquid from the container including a Valve, a float operatedbyithe liquid in the container, and means for initially allowing the level of. the liquidl to rise above the level of thefiioat and ,preventing its access to said float and thereafter allowing the liquid accumulatedV in the container and held from access to the float to flow to said float and at a greater rate than that supplied to the container and elevate the float quickly to operate the valve.

.2., In apparatus of the character set forth,

Y'the combination with a container for liquid,

of means for controlling the flow of the liquid from the container including a valve, afloat voperated by the liquid inthe container, a cup containing the float and movable in the container, said cup floating in the liquid, and means for causing the liquid to flood the Vcup and sink the same, thereby giving the liquid quiclr access to the float, causing` it to quickly rise, and operate the valve.

3. In apparatus of the character set forth,

Vthe combination with a container for the liquid, of means for controlling the flow of liquid from the container, including a valve, a cup movably located in the container and `rising withl the liquid therein, and' a float for operating the valve movably located in the cup and moved therein by liquid entering the cup. K

4. In apparatus of the character set forth,

the combination with a container for the liquid, of means for controlling the flow of liquid from the container, including a valve, a cup movably located in the container and rising with the liquid thereon, a float fory operating the valve movably located in the cup, means for stopping the upward .movement ofthe cup to permit the liquid in the container to enter it and thereby cause the elevation of the float in the cup, and means fork permitting .the outflow of liquid from Vthe cup when the liquid level within the container falls. y Y

5. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a container for the liquid having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, of means for admitting fluid under pressure to the container, a valve controlling said fluid admitting means, afloat in the container for operating the valve,and a cup movably mounted in the container and having the float movable therein, said cuphav ing means for admitting liquid into its upper portion, and means for draining the cup when the liquid inthe container falls.v

6. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a' container for the liquidhaving a liquid inlet anda liquid outlet, of means for admitting fluid under pressure to the container, a valve controlling said fluid admitting means, a float in the container for oper-ating the valve, a cup movably float therein, saidcup having Aanopenjtop for permitting the overflow of the liquid ymounted on the container and having the ico thereinto, and a valved koutlet Vport in the lower portion of the cup.A r

7. In apparatus of the character set. forth, the combination with a container for the liquid having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, of means for admitting fluid under pressure'to the container, a valve controlling said vfluid admitting means, a float in the container for operating kthe valve, a cup movably mounted in the container and having the float therein, said cup having an open top for permitting the overflowof the liquid thereinto, a valvedl outlet port in the lower portion of the cup, a vent means for the container, and a valve controlling the vent and operated by the oat in alternation with the Y fluid controlling valve. f l d 8.l In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination vwith a container for the liquid, of means for controlling the lflow of 'liquid from the container, including a valve,

afloat for operating the valve, a buoyant cup Y for containing the float, and' means whereby the buoyancy of the cup is destroyedy and it l will sink and expose the float to the elevating action of the liquid in the: container. Y

9. In apparatus of the character set forth, the combination with a container for the liquid, of means for controlling' the flow of fluid into the container, including' a valve,

a float for operating the valve, a buoyant cup for containing the float, and means whereby the buoyancy of the cup is destroyed and it will sink and expose the float to the elevat- 5 ing action of the liquid inthe container.

l0. In apparatus of the character set orth7 the combination with a Container for "the liquid, of means for controlling the flow of fluid into the container, inclu-ding a Valve,

10 a float for operating the valve, a buoyant cup for containing the float, andinitially keeping the liquid .in the 4container from operating on the float, and means for positioning the eup to admit liquid thereto, whereby its buoyancy is destroyed and it will sink and thereby expose the float to the elevating action of the liquid in the oon-k tainer.

In testimony whereof, I a'ixgmy signature. p

JOHN A. CLARK. 

